Leggy Broccoli
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arcatamarcia
Location: Oregon, Southern Coast
Posted: May-13-2009 at 7:00am
This is my second year of vegetable gardening and the first year I've planted broccoli. I planted store-bought broccoli plants in early April and they have become quite leggy. They do have heads forming but even the heads are leggy.
I'm in California, just below the Oregon border. Our weather is definitely maritime. It's been pretty cool here until the last week and a couple of weeks ago we had a lot of rain. What's happening to my broccoli and is there something I can do about it?
Screaming Eagle
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: May-13-2009 at 1:14pm
If they are leggy I'm wondering if they are getting enough light? Are they in full sun? Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower... -Hans Christian Anderson IP IP: 208.195.70.39 Edit Post Delete Post Hide Post Move Post arcatamarcia
Location: Oregon, Southern Coast
Posted: May-13-2009 at 8:26pm
They get the best I've got. They aren't in shade most of the day, but the cloud cover is pretty dense a lot of days. I don't think we saw clear sunlight for more than an hour or two this morning. If broccoli can't make it here, I can't imagine what could. I wonder if a different variety of broccoli might do better given the light I have to live with.
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: May-15-2009 at 2:15am
Welcome to Rainyside Marcia.
I do suspect the variety and perhaps the care given the plant before you bought it. Remember that it is the flower of the broccoli that we eat. Plants that are stressed early and/or grown in poor weather conditions will bolt; meaning small mature plants and heads. Many broccoli varieties are known for this. April this year in WA & OR was the 35/36 coldest in the last 115 years. Warmer than 2008 but colder than 2 out of every three years. You don't know if the plant was "hardened off" before you bought it. Was it water stressed on the rack?
You didn't say which store you bought the plant. If it was a large retailer, I'd suspect that the variety would be suited to the warmer clim's in CA. If it was a local nursery, ask them about the variety and if they buy the seeds from Territorial Seed (TSC) of Cottage Grove, OR. The TSC catalog specifically lists some of their broccoli varieties as having good spring performance.
I agree that your climate in Arcata is maritime. If you haven't already, I recommend that you buy a copy of Steve Solomon's Growing Vegetable -- West of the Cascades. Beside all the other vegetable knowledge on growing in our region, the advice about using seed, not root crowns, to grow your perennial asparagus bed will pay for the book.
As Debbie describes on Rainyside's (scroll down):
"Edible Bookshelf"
Here's a fully revised edition of this regional bestseller- considered to be the definitive food gardening manual for the Pacific Northwest. This is the bible of vegetable gardening for anyone turning the soil west of the Cascade Mountains-from Western British Columbia to Northern California. It includes the basics of soil, when best to plant, the art of composting, what varieties grow well here, which seed companies are reliable, information on handling pests, and an extensive section on the cultivation of each vegetable.
The photo on the bookshelf is of the 2000 edition but if you scroll down on the Amazon link, you'll see the 2007 sixth edition that has the new asparagus info.
Gary
arcatamarcia
Location: Oregon, Southern Coast
Posted: May-15-2009 at 10:22pm
Gary, I got the broccoli at a local organic market, but I was impatient and it was awfully early. And then got cold and wet. I think I'm going to pull them up and try again. And thanks for the recommendation of the Solomon book. I have just heard about it and ordered one a couple of days ago. I'm chomping at the bit for it to get here.
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: May-16-2009 at 2:02pm
Marcia,
Because of the need to keep re-reading Growing Vegetables, I have worn out all editions of Steve's book but the 5th and 6th since I bought the number one almost 30 years ago.
On your original question, be sure to read Chap. 7, Transplants. Steve covers and answers your questions a lot better than I can. He does use more words but that is why I have worn the books out because I was reminded of your question as I did my RE-study this morning to transplant my tomatoes tomorrow. Gary
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton